Estes Park mayor: talk to county about animal control

By Juley Harvey Trail-Gazette

Posted:
01/08/2013 07:13:40 AM MST

What can worried residents do about animal control issues and is there a town animal control officer? Residents raised those issues, among others, at the monthly mayor's coffee chat on Wednesday at the senior center.

Resident Judy Archibald, who resides outside town limits, expressed concern about animal control and neglect in the Estes Valley, with dogs allowed to run loose and horses being unattended. She said Larimer County doesn't respond to citizen needs and we are low on the priority list for animal welfare.

Town administrator Frank Lancaster said that the county has cut its animal control budget by 50 percent, and may cut it out completely in the future. He told worried residents they will probably continue to see slower response in the future.

"Where does that leave us?" Archibald asked.

Mayor Bill Pinkham said that is an issue for the county commissioners and encouraged residents to attend commissioner Tom Donnelly's monthly Estes Park citizen meetings, held the third Wednesday of the month at the senior center at 9 a.m. The next meeting is Wednesday, Jan. 16.

"I'm sorry we can't do more to help," Pinkham told Archibald, "but we empathize."

Within city limits, residents can call the police department for animal control, but there is no dedicated animal control officer any more.

Lancaster said all wildlife calls are the responsibility of the state, through the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, while the police department responds to domestic animal problems within town limits.

Advertisement

The town contracts with a local vet to shelter animals needing assistance. While there was an animal control officer at one time, that position no longer exists, he said.

Mayor pro tem Eric Blackhurst said it has been 2.5 to 3 years since there was a full-time animal control officer in town. He also served as a code enforcer for building. That was not an efficient system, Blackhurst said.